BugsAlive
Cercopis vulnerata - the Red-and-black Froghopper
Caen Hill, Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Order : Hemiptera
Family : Cercopidae
Genus : Cercopis
Species : Cercopis vulnerata
This distinctive homopteran is distributed through a large part of Europe, especially in the northern and central parts of the continent. Measuring around 8-11mm in length they have strong back legs that enable them to jump well over half a metre and they can also fly. Habitat is variable but usually in wooded areas where there are sunny clearings or in open grassland. In the UK the adults are active between April and August.
When mating they adopt a very unusual position, side by side at a slight angle. The female lays batches of eggs in the stems of plants towards the end of summer. The resultant larvae live underground, feeding on the roots of various plants before emerging to the surface in the Spring.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects in wild situations.
Cercopis vulnerata - the Red-and-black Froghopper
Caen Hill, Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Order : Hemiptera
Family : Cercopidae
Genus : Cercopis
Species : Cercopis vulnerata
This distinctive homopteran is distributed through a large part of Europe, especially in the northern and central parts of the continent. Measuring around 8-11mm in length they have strong back legs that enable them to jump well over half a metre and they can also fly. Habitat is variable but usually in wooded areas where there are sunny clearings or in open grassland. In the UK the adults are active between April and August.
When mating they adopt a very unusual position, side by side at a slight angle. The female lays batches of eggs in the stems of plants towards the end of summer. The resultant larvae live underground, feeding on the roots of various plants before emerging to the surface in the Spring.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects in wild situations.